My Happy Place - Part 2

I introduced you to Lake Louise (the ski resort) in one of my earlier posts this month...A very happy place for me indeed! Now, onto Part 2 of my time there....at the Chateau!

We packed up our skis and headed to the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise  

The drive up to the resort was stunning...the sun was shining, the snow covered mountains, trees with branches laden with fluffy white snow....Winter at its best!

We arrived to the quintessential Lake view......I could have stood there for hours, taking it all in and just enjoying 'being'..

We walked around and had a chance to see the beautiful ice sculptures that had been done for the "Ice Magic Festival" and in honour of the upcoming 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

We then went inside, found a table with a view in the bar/lounge, and said 'cheers' to an amazing day!

It was the kind of day that I didn't want to end...ever...but, as they say, all good things must come to an end. It was time to get on the road and wind our way through mountain ranges back to Calgary.

Talk about the perfect end to the perfect day....I could get used to this view! Sunset over the Rockies...

My trips out West always bring a kind of happiness and level of contentment that cannot be put into words..... I hope that you are able to travel,visit or even live in a place that allows you to experience these indescribable feelings too....We all deserve that level of bliss!

RR

My Happy Place

This insanely frigid weather actually reminds me of one of my favorite places ever.....

You may think I'm a little bit crazy, but one of the places that I feel most alive is at the top of a mountain when it's -55, skis on, goggles down and ready to take the first run of the day!

Insert..."She's nuts"...here.

I will totally admit, having skied in Ontario for most of my life, the first time up the chair lift at Lake Louise both blew my mind...and scared the begeebers out of me!! Once I got over the initial sense of, "get me off this thing"...I could sit back and enjoy this....

The friend I was with, who lives in Calgary and is part of the ski patrol, doesn't really know the meaning of "easing ourselves in"....and again...he seemed to forget that I had NEVER skied on a true mountain before.... 

We went allllll the way to the top.

It was literally -55, the views were absolutely beyond breathtaking...and I was absolutely terrified!!

But, fear aside,...we pushed off and started to make our way down the mountain. I don't know if it was the cold mountain air, the scenery or just everything about this perfect day....but I settled back into my skis and that feeling of terror quickly subsided...

We stopped part of the way down to catch our breath (and let my legs muscles, that were currently on fire, have a wee break....again, I'm used to runs in Ontario that are top to bottom in less than 10 minutes, whereas these runs were almost triple that and with the slight difference in altitude, oxygen wasn't quite getting to my muscles as I was used to).

But again, that feeling quickly passed as we stood there and I literally began my love affair with the West....more specifically, the mountains! 

In the picture below, you can see the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and the Lake in the far distance.... Spectacular!

Here I come!!!

We spent the morning on the mountain, had lunch at a chalet mountainside and then it was time for a beverage 'apres ski' before we headed to the Chateau...

Check back soon as I continue on my journey in my Happy Place and take you on a tour of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and the Fairmont Baff Springs!

Talk about the epitome of the Bucolic Lifestyle....

RR